1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for a modular drilling system. More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for providing modules for an offshore drilling rig.
2. Background Art
Oil rigs, particularly off-shore rigs, need to utilize all available space efficiently due to the number of processes that are performed and the limited amount of space provided. Most off-shore oil rigs include numerous levels or platforms and utilize gravity to move fluids between the levels, minimizing the number of pumps on the oil rig.
Various fluids (“well fluids”) may be used on the oil rig and may include both solids and liquids. Common uses for well fluids include: lubrication and cooling of drill bit cutting surfaces while drilling generally or drilling-in (i.e., drilling in a targeted petroleum bearing formation), transportation of “cuttings” (pieces of formation dislodged by the cutting action of the teeth on a drill bit) to the surface, controlling formation fluid pressure to prevent blowouts, maintaining well stability, suspending solids in the well, minimizing fluid loss into and stabilizing the formation through which the well is being drilled, fracturing the formation in the vicinity of the well, displacing the fluid within the well with another fluid, cleaning the well, testing the well, implacing a packer fluid, abandoning the well or preparing the well for abandonment, and otherwise treating the well or the formation.
Since space is a priority on an oil rig, the storage of fluids must be done efficiently. These fluids include various components that may be recycled and re-used or may be treated prior to disposal. Between the various operations, these fluids may be temporarily stored in a tank system. For example, when a wellbore fluid brings cuttings to the surface, the mixture is typically subjected to various mechanical treatments (shakers, centrifuges, etc) to separate the cuttings from the recyclable wellbore fluid. However, the cuttings may need to be treated or the recyclable wellbore fluid may need to be stored until it is used again.
In conventional rig design, the layout of oilfield processing equipment is linear in alignment and fluid is moved by building a series of ditch and tank systems in a downhill configuration using altered overflows, weirs, and angles. Fluids and solids settle out as the fluid moves slowly along the flow paths of the system. Such rig designs take up valuable main deck space and may be inefficient in separating out solids from fluids.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for modular drilling rig designs that provide more efficient use of rig space.